A Catholic bishop of Eastern-rite Syro-Malankara Church and his five priests were arrested on charges of alleged illegal sand mining. Church officials said they are unjustly incriminated.
India – (09/02.2022 11:52 AM Gaudium Press) – Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios and five priests, including a vicar general of Pathanamthitta Diocese in southern Kerala state, were arrested by neighbouring Tamil Nadu state’s crime branch officials. They are accused of illegally mining river sand from a plot of land adjacent to a check dam on Thamirabarani river near Pottal in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. The news shook the Christian community, especially Catholics across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. For the first time, a Catholic bishop and priests had been arrested on charges of illegal sand mining.
The 300-acre plot is owned by the Pathanamthitta diocese and leased out to Manuel George for farming. Since diocesan officials could not visit the site during the past two years due to the pandemic, George indulged in illegal mining activities.
When he was caught and the contract terminated, George tried to implicate the bishop and priests, who were arrested and remanded to judicial custody by a local court.
Bishop Irenios, 69, and Father Jose Chamakala, 69, were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli. They fell ill soon after their arrest.
The other arrested priests – Father George Samuel, 56, Father Shaji Thomas, 58, Father Jijo James, 37, and Father Jose Kalaviyal, 53 – have been lodged in Nanguneri jail.
George was arrested earlier but claimed that he was not guilty and pointed out that the real owners of the plot were the bishop and priests, Church sources said.
On the condition of anonymity, a senior priest said the diocese owned the 300-acre agricultural plot with coconut and gooseberry plantations for the past 40 years.
“It was leased to a native of Kottayam [in Kerala state] for farming. He committed malpractices without our knowledge and carried out sand mining in adjacent plots of land,” the priest added.
In September 2020, district officials conducted an inspection and found sand had been illegally mined and transported for commercial purposes.
Local residents and environmentalists protesting the illegal activities then approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, which transferred the investigations from the local police to the state crime branch for further probe.
Crime branch officials suspect the illegal activities were carried out in connivance with the owners of the land and hence arrested the bishop and five priests.
Sand mining is a profitable enterprise in India. Sand is often sold for use in the construction industry. However, the practice is banned in most areas due to the heavy environmental and ecological toll, whereby some rivers are losing large portions of their beds.
Following the arrest, senior diocesan officials rushed to Tirunelveli to secure their release on bail. The investigation continues.
Via UCA News
(Complied by Raju Hasmukh)
